County Development Director, Bob Keating; Planning Director, Stan Boling and others, including some Commissioners have said that the A-1 Walee Demolition Debris facility will not be as bad as the nearby residents think. From their perspectives, in their offices in the beautiful new County Administration Building some five miles away, there is not a problem.
But what about the perspective of Mark Hornbuckle, the farmer raising fresh vegetables for hundreds of Vero Beach families, whose field and irrigation wells are just hundreds of feet from this site? There is a reason why this proposed operation falls under the regulation of the Department of Environmental Protection. It will deal with dangerous toxins that can be released in “fugitive dust” as well the “leachate” that can enter the ground water table as well as the canals that lead to the lagoon.
What about the perspective of the two brothers who developed 8 new five acre home sites called Magnolia Lakes with streets already completed (a project approved by the same county planners and the county commission)? A-1 Walee will be permitted to have 25 tall piles of concrete debris, awaiting noisy, dusty crushing. With screening only 8 feet high, along with trees that someday may provide more screening, will you want to buy a nice home lot just hundreds of feet from A-1 Walee? 
For those of us who get on the turnpike in Fort Pierce to head south, what’s one of the first things we see to the right? Piles of concrete at a concrete recycling operation.
A few days ago I made a post called “Could It Happen Here?” about a serious fire at a mulch processing plant near Washington, DC that closed I-95 between DC and Baltimore for several hours. Since then I have talked with professional firefighters who have confirmed that tall piles of mulch are very dangerous. If you still have questions, follow this link about a mulch fire in Charlotte County, FL in January. The reports said that it could burn for a month. What’s your reaction when we get smoke from brush fires miles away? What would a mulch fire so close mean for the teachers and children at the pre school just down the street that runs behind the proposed site?
If you still can state with confidence that A-1 Walee will not be so bad for our neighborhood, a site that is nearly totally surrounded by approved residential developments, I encourage you to read my previous post, “Just Trust Us! Really?”
I am not aware of any of the planners or Commissioners who live as close to the proposed site as those of us who will be wearing red on Tuesday. When we hear, “It won’t be so bad,” please remember, it all depends on your perspective.
Say "No Way" to Walee 
It won’t be as bad as we think? These clowns have more ideas in the works. When they said the zoning was changed to “special exemption” Well that says it all. I wouldn’t be surprised if these same individuals own land around or close to this project and make a profit by selling it for more garbage ideas. Who are the smart people that voted these clowns into office? We will be ready for Tuesday. I hope we have enough time to get our information out and all of our knowledgable people get the time to speak. I hope no one gets vertigo and the meeting gets cancelled
Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM there will only be 24 hours left until the county commissioners meet to hear this proposal. Is their mind already made up? Many of you heard at the P&Z meeting that they received no objections. That was then and this is now. If their minds were set then, when they see the crowd and hear from the attorneys, experts and the residents they may have a change of heart, but without an overwhelming turn out there won’t be a chance of that. Be sure to be there wear red, you don’t have to speak, the size of the crowd will shout NO WAY to WALEE! Let’s hope it’s loud enough to catch their attention and change their minds.
It is not uncommon for mulch piles to ignite. Gainesville,FL area June 2007: “a blaze burned piles of mulch and wood….causing millions in damages. …blaze was being treated lika a brush fire, which may take days to completely extinguish….fire may have been smoldering inmuch beneath the surface fore days before igniting the piles of mulch and wood. The fire burned through about 10 acres.” The fire risk in our area has been high for several years…Do we want to add “fluel to the fire?”
Congratulations on a victory over a project that should never have seen the light of day. Clearly the Board of County Commissioners saw the foley of this project and the quiet resolve of the community. Thank you for everything